AstroLandscapes #71 - Target Practice

[FenlandPaul]

On the southern side of the Wash - the great notch of North Sea that separates the bulge of East Anglia and the Lincolnshire coastline up to the Humber - is a marshy landscape that is under constant assault. Day after day, it is pounded relentlessly by military planes from the UK, US and other "friendly" countries that use RAF Holbeach as a live-fire bombing range.  There are frigates that have been beached on the northern side of the marshes to simulate seaborne prey, and large targets - very similar to those on an archery range, but on a colossal scale - dot the marshes somewhat incongruously.

I knew nothing of this place until it caught my eye during an evening of poring over Google Earth, trying to find interesting foreground subjects within striking distance of home and ideally away from the worst of the light pollution.  What interested me in particular was the control tower, perched on the edge of the marsh overseeing each day's oblivion within the vast flatlands laid out before.  What excited me even more was there appeared to be a public footpath passing right next to it.

After checking the MOD website for any planned nighttime exercises (I suppose that would have made interesting light painting!) I headed up across the Fens one balmy July evening, arriving as the golden hour subsided into the deep blues of twilight.  To my delight, there didn't appear to be any outside lights around the control tower and a relatively short walk from the car got me right up close to it.  Nevertheless, I was in a heightened state of alert during the evening, half expecting the military police to turn up and ask what I was up to - I was fairly sure I wasn't trespassing, but uniformed armed men with dogs have a habit of making you question your judgement and previous conclusions.  Thankfully, I never had to explain myself.

The night became increasingly troubled by cloud, and my planned star trails image never made it beyond a rather disappointing timelapse of clouds over the tower.  But in the gaps in the cloud I was able to make a couple of images with different aspects, one to the south with the Milky Way and a lovely reflection in the creek in the marsh, and one to the north north east with Perseus and Cassiopeia.   I'll definitely be back to this place - I think it would, be great with Orion and Barnard's Loop over it!

As usual, I made a film of the night, which I've linked below, to take you along for the adventure.  Hope you enjoy!. 😊

✨TARGET PRACTICE✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4 lens and MoveShootMove Nomad tracker

🔧 Foreground: 1x30s exposure at ISO2000 and f/5. Sky: 19x 60s tracked exposures at f/2.5 and ISO800

🎞️ Sky stacked in Sequator. Edited and blended in Photoshop and Starnet++

 

✨LOOKOUT✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4 lens and MoveShootMove Nomad tracker

🔧 Foreground: 1x30s exposure at ISO800 and f/2. Sky: 15x 60s tracked exposures at f/2 and ISO800

🎞️ Sky stacked in Sequator. Edited and blended in Photoshop